Once he recovers in the hospital, the Hotshot firefighter, seriously injured in a fallen tree while fighting a complex Orleans fire for nearly three weeks in Northern California, faces a “long journey emotionally, physically and financially.”
Renzo Reginato, a member of the Cleveland National Forest El Coliso Hotshot Team, was one of three firefighters injured in the July 18 incident in Siskiyou County, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Reginato, the most severe of the injury, underwent broken orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures of the fractured tibia and fibre, as well as emergency orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures for traumatic spinal cord injuries, according to records posted by his family.
On Thursday, the family posted a photo of Reginato and gave a thumbs up in a hospital bed while wearing an El Colizo hot shotball cap.
The Reginart was fighting Butler’s fire. This accounts for the majority of two Northern California fires, including the so-called Orleans complex in rural Siskiyou and Del Norte counties.
The Orleans complex, which began amid thunderstorms in early July, has grown to 22,362 acres and was only 22% on Sunday.
Firefighters faced difficult situations Sunday as dry thunderstorms bring increased winds and threaten a lightning strike that could ignite new fires, according to the briefing.
At least eight firefighters have been injured while fighting the Orleans complex, and green fires in Northern California forests are burning in extreme heat on the painstaking terrain. A mild injury was reported on Saturday.
One firefighter suffered blunt trauma, who was injured on July 12, according to Deanna Younger, a spokesman for the California Interagency Management Team.
The fire that rose in lightning burned 19,002 acres, including 97% as of Sunday, according to Shasta Trinity National Forest.
Another firefighter suffered severe injuries the next day, she said. Both were treated in hospital and released.
Two firefighters working at Orleans Complex were hit by fever in temperatures above 110 degrees, reported Paul Meznarich, a spokesman for the multi-time team coordinating response to those fires, reported July 14th.
Nathan Judy, a spokesman for Cleveland National Forest in Southern California, said he could not disclose the name of the firefighter, but confirmed that one of the firefighters who were attacked by a tree while fighting the Orleans complex on July 18 was airlifted to a Redding hospital.
Judy said one of the other two firefighters who were attacked by the tree was also transferred, evaluated and then released. The third was rated and released on-site.
He continued to be hospitalized at Redding, waiting for his transfer to Denver’s Craig Hospital, a nationally recognized neuroregen regeneration center.
The site said he “is facing a long and difficult path to recovery, closely supported by his fiancé and family.”
“Renzo is dedicated to the strict, selfless work of the fire department,” it said. “He has been trained, sacrifices, and shows up every day to protect his life and his community. Now he needs our support.”
His treatment will be covered, but the message said the family faces long-term costs of travel, accommodation, meals and resources.
A fellow member of the Elite El Cariso Hotshots was quoted in Gofundme, recalling the incident.
“We were cutting the line and without warning I heard someone scream ‘Tree!’ And before I could react, I was hit backwards and rolled five to ten feet downhill,” he wrote.
As of Sunday, 1,924 firefighters were fighting the Orleans complex. This constitutes Butler’s fire and much smaller red fire.
The Butler fire was first reported amid a lightning storm on July 3, burning more than 22,000 acres in the Six Rivers and Klamath National Forest.
The red fire, which began on July 6th, contains more than 90%, burned 116 acres in the wilderness of Siskiyou in Del Norte County.
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